Yoga and Meditation

Anyone do yoga and/or meditation? I have found mindfulness meditation to be extremely helpful for getting me to relax and help stop my mind from racing in a million directions. I usually use some MP3 guided meditations on my iPod or just some relaxing music without any singing in it.

As far as yoga goes, it's something I really want to get into. I have a mat, block, strap, a DVD and a book on it. I am going to start with some basic stuff and make it a part of my daily routine.

I'm not flexible at all and am somewhat intimidated by yoga but I think the benefits of it are something that makes it worth exploring.

I've done yoga in the past. I think it can be great... especially if done as a mindfulness practice. I do think it would be a good idea to take a yoga class if you can. But you do have to be careful. At least where I live, there are lots of yoga instructors. But not all of them are really all that knowledgeable, especially when it comes to working with people who perhaps have some physical limitations.

I don't know what kinds of things are available to you, of course. But my suggestion would be to try to find a mindfulness meditation class that includes a basic yoga routine. These sorts of classes are sometimes offered by or in conjunction with medical centers. This is what I did years ago. I was able to participate in a class taught by a yoga instructor who had trained in mindfulness meditation with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. It was a great experience. If you can't avail yourself of something like that, though, another option might be to obtain a copy of Jon Kabat-Zinn's book: Full Catastrophe Living. It details the mindfulness meditation program that was, & presumably is, still offered at the Massachusetts Medical Center. It would be well worth a read-through, in my opinion.

Thanks for the info Skeezyks!

I know my college has a gentle yoga thing in the wellness lounge some afternoons, I might check that out. And I have a YMCA membership, I know they offer classes, would just have to see what my membership covers.

I highly, highly recommend both yoga and meditation. I did yoga in the past and though have stopped for now (focusing on other exercises), it's something I will take up again. I'm not flexible either, but that's not important, there's a number of benefits to doing even the most basic form of yoga.

On meditation, I'm an active practitioner and do it daily. I actually do it more for spiritual purposes than for relaxation as many do, but regardless it's benefits are well known. Actually, I've created a Youtube video specifically discussing the benefits of meditation and the basics of getting started. If you're interested in seeing it, please don't hesitate to PM me and I'll send over the link (I presume it would be against the rules for me to post it here).

I keep meaning to do both. I have a few books on mindfulness and meditation I enjoy reading, but then I never get around to actually doing it.

I do Yoga but find it can be quite triggering for me.

I do yoga myself it has help strength my back after I injured it in a car accident. But I have to used the DVD vs going to a class because of my clumsiness. I loved doing meditation it help me relax, sleep, and help with my illness when I am sick. Have you tried positive magazines meditation and put in whatever you need? Such as anxiety sleep self esteem etc. I will have try mindfulness meditation.

I went to a yoga meditation and the instructor was very rude to me. I used a DVD and meditation on YouTube.

Oh wow! That is awesome!

I've tried this "focus on the present" practice called meditation. It is easy to sit with an empty mind but it is not easy to allow myself to fully immerse in sensation because then pain that feels as if it is in the body comes. Recently it's been able to ease into just sadness but it can still be pain. When it's pain, I cannot stay immersed in the body. It is not tolerable like that. When I'm lucky and it's instead refined into sadness, it's manageable... Has anyone ever heard of this?

One of the amazing things about yoga is that, even if you feel inflexible now, practice really makes a difference. I was surprised by what even just a few months did for me in terms of balance and flexibility. I like going to classes where an instructor can correct you if you’re stretching something incorrectly or putting too much strain on a certain muscle. And meditation is a wonderful practice to take on. I’m wishing you well in this process!